America’s space program is currently facing a severe crisis. The planetary exploration program is in grave danger. In its FY 2012 budget, the OMB has effectively terminated support for future missions.

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that plans for the 11th field season at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) are moving ahead rapidly. The upcoming field season is now planned to run from December 3, 2011 through May 6, 2012. Volunteer slots are open for participation as a crew member at the MDRS in Utah. Crew members will be required to pay for their own transportation to and from Grand Junction, Colorado, and also pay a $1,000 participation fee (reduced to $500 for students) to cover station expenses.

Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society and author of “The Case for Mars,” will present a radical new plan for space development during his featured address at the 2011 International Space Development Conference in Huntsville, Alabama.
Scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd at 9:30 a.m., Dr. Zubrin will lay out a bold new proposal to establish inexpensive access to orbit, get humans to the planet Mars and begin opening up the solar system to human exploration and settlement within the present decade.

Call for Volunteers: The Mars Society is requesting volunteers to participate as members of the crew of the Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah during extended simulations of human Mars exploration operations. The upcoming Mars Desert Research Station field season will begin in December 2007 and run through April 2008. Volunteers should state clearly what segment of MDRS field season span they are available. Both volunteer investigators who bring with them a proposed program of research of their own compatible with the objectives of the MDRS and those simply wishing to participate as members of the crew supporting the investigations of others will be considered. Research proposals which focus the effort of or require selection as a team of up to the full six-person crew will also be considered. The Mars Society will be issuing an additional call for volunteers for the summer 2008 field season of the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Devon Island later. However those volunteering for MDRS at this time may also volunteer for FMARS 2008, which is anticipated to consist of a single 2-month crew rotation running from mid-June to mid August 2008. FMARS crew selection is highly competitive, and prior experience at MDRS, while not strictly required, is considered to be an important credential for FMARS selection. In 2004, for example, 6 out of 7 FMARS crew members had prior MDRS experience.

Call for Volunteers: The Mars Society is requesting volunteers to participate as members of the crew of the Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah during extended simulations of human Mars exploration operations. The upcoming Mars Desert Research Station field season will begin in December 2004 and run through April 2005. The Mars Society will be issuing an additional call for volunteers for the summer 2005 field season of the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Devon Island later. However those volunteering for MDRS at this time may also volunteer for FMARS 2005. FMARS crew selection is highly competitive, and prior experience at MDRS, while not strictly required, is considered to be an important credential for FMARS selection. In 2004, for example, 6 out of 7 FMARS crew members had prior MDRS experience. Submission deadline for the first round of MDRS selections is October 31, 2004. Applications submitted after that date will be considered for openings as they become available.

On Wednesday, March 24, Mars Society member and MDRS crew member Daniel Hegeman testified to the President’s Commission on human Moon and Mars exploration chaired by former Air Force Secretary Pete Aldridge. By all accounts, Hegeman, a student at Georgia Tech, did a spectacular job.